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Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

Thirty seven percent of all statistics are made up.

Believe me?

You shouldn’t. I made that up.

I read an article this weekend about the rise of fake news sites. It seems that in this age of social media, more and more people are simply making up the news and spreading it around. Case in point, one of the characters in the election year tragedy playing out in our country tweeted something this weekend as news. Two hundred and fifty thousand people retweeted it (forwarded the message) or hit the “like” button to show their support.

The problem? The original tweet had no basis in fact. The candidate had simply made it up.

To be fair, both sides use social media to highlight their competitor’s faults and oversell their own version of truth. That’s politics.

But in this hyperpartisan age of campaigning, we would all be wise to do our research before believing what we read or before passing something on.

I suppose turning off the television and ignoring the whole thing is another option.

Then again, maybe history can teach us.

Two thousand years ago, a weary band of men and women met a man who changed their world. His message was love over hate, forgiveness over revenge, mercy over murder, light over darkness, justice over expediency.

No social media. No Twitter. No Facebook. No Instagram. Just the power of a positive message.

Maybe therein lies the lesson. Seek the Truth where it may be found. Spread the news that renews. Live in a way that shows others we recognize God’s presence so that in our touch, our words, our actions, God may touch, and speak, and act.

Then, perhaps, others may sense God’s presence when we pass by and, seeing us, know with little effort, they catch a glimpse of God.

No online presence is necessary.

Come Holy Spirit, renew the face of the Earth…

 

 

Artwork source: http://hoshanarabbah.org

 

 

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V+J

The other night, Maureen and I attended a dinner where the emcee asked the audience to name the last five actors who won an Oscar, or the last five Heisman Trophy winners, or the last five winners of the Nobel Prize. The room was quiet. Then he asked us to remember the names of five teachers who made a difference in our lives. Nodding heads all around.

I thought of that challenge as we headed to Maryland yesterday to attend the roast beef dinner at the children’s former school. True, it is a long way to drive to take the family out to dinner, but well worth it when we saw how their friends reacted at seeing them for the first time since June.

The Oblate Sisters of St. Francis de Sales (and the food they cook) was enough of a reason to drive the four hours or so for the event. These remarkable women understand that a teacher cannot give what he or she does not have and their ability to “Live Jesus” always overwhelms me. Seeing the children interact with them, catching the Sisters up on their new school and new friends and new home, was a joy-filled sight.

We were planning to head back to Connecticut last night but since we have family in Philadelphia, we are taking the day to see Aunt Barbara. Plus, we are hoping the children’s former dentist might be able to fit child number two into his schedule, as she took a tumble down the stairs this weekend and chipped her front (adult) tooth. Never a dull moment.

Then it’s back up Interstate 95 to donate more money to the toll collectors ($1200+ since February) and finally home to the Nutmeg state.

As we drive, we will finish homework and wrap up the second Harry Potter audiobook. We will talk about last night and our former teachers and friends from another school. Most importantly, we will pray for the good Sisters, who continue to feed us – physically and spiritually – with their kindness and friendship.

May you be as blessed with such teachers in your life.